


grounded, surrounded (wouldn't have it any other way)

by sweetiejelly



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 14:20:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5420306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetiejelly/pseuds/sweetiejelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe Luke and Noah should have taken Lucinda up on her offer of the jet, but then they would have never met Zoe. And if they never met Zoe, then maybe, just maybe, they would have missed out on Riley and Sammy and Lucy Em.</p>
            </blockquote>





	grounded, surrounded (wouldn't have it any other way)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for jb1183 who wanted "[s]omething light and happy (preferably Holiday themed)" & mainly playing off of these two prompts he gave below, though not quite strictly following either. Hope this is okay Jim, and a very happy holidays to you! :)
> 
> * Luke and Noah trying to get back to Oakdale for the holidays during a snowstorm.  
> * Luke and Noah playing "Santa" for their children. 
> 
> Many thanks to my beta dreamer_98, who made sure, among other things, that I didn't make it sound like the boys kidnapped anyone! Any remaining mistakes are strictly mine.

"Don't say it." 

Luke looked down at the snow-capped planes, up at Noah, and said it anyway with his beautifully expressive face. 

"Say what?" Luke crooked an eyebrow, hooked his arm through Noah's arm and squeezed. 

And held, even like this, even with hundreds of other passengers in this bustling airport, Noah felt a sense of calm wash over him. _It's going to be fine._ They may be stranded for now, but at least they were stranded together. Luke was right here. 

He took a deep breath. "I know we probably should have taken Lucinda’s jet like you wanted, but we could – we could still make it back in time." Noah frowned at the thick shower of snow speckling the windows white. "Maybe." 

"Maybe,” Luke echoed. “C'mon," he steered them away. "Let's get coffee. I need a good, warm, sugary rush." 

Noah's mind rushed elsewhere. He couldn't help it. Luke was warm, so close and well, so newly _married_ to him. Noah had only been in love with Luke since before he felt he was _allowed_. 

Back then, when his head was so deep in the sand in denial as he worked alongside Luke at WOAK, even then Noah took every opportunity to touch Luke – a friendly squeeze of the shoulder here, a friendly catch of the elbow there. He couldn't help it then. 

He couldn't help it now. He was attracted to Luke's everything – his words, his quirks, and even his hair. Right now, the blond layers looked simultaneously rumpled-soft and styled-shiny under the lights. Noah dropped a kiss on said hair, then a peck to Luke's cheek, the rush of affection too strong to resist. This was his _husband_. 

"Love you too," Luke smiled and slid him a look from under his lashes. "But don't even _think_ it, buster." 

"Think what?" Noah turned away, deliberately, his cheeks pink, flushed with thoughts. It was only this morning that Luke looked at him this way, eyes warm in the slice of morning light, running like spilled yolk, soft across their hotel room. 

Noah took a moment, took in the incredible high beams running at least two stadiums long, all polished chrome and reflective silver. His eyes dipped to an exaggerated five-point star and down along the tinsels and ornaments wrapped around a gorgeous tree. Underneath the cheerful yellow, red, and green piled up stacks of colorful boxes, extending outward like two arms ready to love. 

Then there were the windows – tall and wide and wrapped all around them, making Noah feel like he was in one of those snow globes (except with the snowflakes outside). 

If not for said snow and the fact that the planes were all grounded, this would actually be picture-perfect, a winter wonderland. 

And yet Luke – Luke was _still_ the most amazing sight Noah had laid eyes on all day. He chanced a look Luke's way and caught him looking back. 

Luke bumped his shoulder and leaned in, voice low and conspiratory. "You _know_ what." 

Noah licked his lips. "Well, _I_ was thinking about Grandma Emma's apple pies.” He tried to keep a straight face. “I don't know what _you_ were thinking about." 

"Uh, duh, _pies_ of course!" Luke grinned at him and waggled his eyebrows. "A _buffet_ of _pies_. What else?" 

Noah snorted. God, he loved his husband. 

"Also coffee," Luke continued. "Pies and coffee and you and I'm all set." Luke slid his hand along Noah’s arm and slipped it into Noah’s hand as they waited in line at Starbucks. 

"And writing." Noah reminded him. "And the rest of our family." He inhaled, lungs spiking with a sudden burst of mocha and love. _Our_ family. He got to say that now. 

Just then, a small child in the yellowest yellow crashed into his leg and grabbed on, giggling. Noah looked down at her, startled. Behind her, a frazzled looking man was weaving through the crowd, calling out, "Zoe! Zoe, no!" 

Zoe just tilted up her chin, which was shiny and wet with… something. Apple sauce? Noah hoped it was apple sauce. Otherwise, he did _not_ want to know. 

"What's your name?" Zoe asked. 

"Um, I'm Noah." Noah looked between the small child strapped to his leg and to Luke who was looking on amused and uncharacteristically quiet. "And this is Luke." 

"You look like my daddy," Zoe informed him. 

"I'm so sorry." The man finally caught up to his charge. He scooped up Zoe and pushed back a small Minions backpack that kept sliding off his shoulder. "My brother's much better at keeping up with this monkey than I am. Zoe, what did we say about bugging strangers?" 

"He's not a stranger, Uncle Joe. His name is Noah," Zoe said, eyes wide. "And that's Luke." She pointed with her tiny hand. 

Joe looked like he was counting to ten in his head. Noah felt for the guy but he also kind of wanted to laugh. Zoe was _so_ Luke. He would just bet Luke was a terror like she was when he was little. 

Luke actually did laugh out loud. "She's got it all figured out," he mock whispered to the uncle. 

Zoe gave a dimpled grin, looking smug. 

They worked it all out though in the end. Zoe apologized and promised not to rush any more strangers for the rest of the day. That seemed good enough for everybody. 

Luke also got his coffee, which was great for Noah. Luke on coffee was always a brighter Luke. 

"So, what do you think? Do you want one?" Luke swirled a vague circle with his coffee cup. 

Noah looked down at the coffee in his own hand, confused. "One...?" 

"Daughter. Or son. Child. Maybe children? Not now, of course, but someday? Apparently you already look the part." Luke teased him. 

Noah gave a snort and then froze. He used to assume that he would have a family when he grew up, complete with two or three kids. Kind of like how he assumed he would one day like girls like that. But that didn't really happen, so... 

"Hey," Luke nudged his leg. "We don't have to. We're already the world's most kickass uncles. We can just keep being that, if you want. You know Aaron loves that we pamper his kids." 

“Uh, pretty sure the last time we babysat, Aaron specifically told us to _stop_ spoiling them.” 

“He’s their dad! He _has_ to say that! But the point is,” Luke threaded his fingers with Noah’s, “I love you and I’m happy with just us, too.” He laid his head on Noah's shoulder. 

Two second later, he lifted it to blink up at Noah. “But maybe we can get a puppy someday?" 

Noah smiled. There was the Luke he knew, talking his way into everything. Not that Noah minded in the least. He wanted Luke to talk him over his fear of becoming the Colonel someday. He wanted a bigger family with Luke, he was pretty sure. 

“I’d like that.” He traced a thumb over Luke’s thumb, feeling grounded in a better way. 

~~ 

"Do I look fat in this?" 

Noah throws a pillow at the back of Luke's head. "You're _supposed_ to look fat in that." 

Luke makes a face at him in the mirror. 

"Also old." 

"That's it!" Luke turns around, the fake white beard slipping around his laugh. "We're getting divorced." 

"Uh huh." Noah says lightly. "And do I get Riley or do you? What about the kids?" 

Luke pounces on him, bouncing a little in his outfit as he tries to tickle Noah. "You're out of your mind, mister, if you think I'm giving up any of them!" 

Noah tickles him back. "Yeah, well, same." He pins Luke with ease as Luke's clumsy in his Santa outfit. He kisses Santa (though he's no mommy) and Santa kisses him right back. 

"Not even you." Noah kisses him again. 

"Not even when I'm old and fat?" Luke challenges, his eyes crinkling. And Luke's not at all old nor fat – not that Noah can't imagine a few more wrinkles or a few more pounds on this beloved face. Imagining is what he does for a living, after all. But – 

"Not ever." 

Luke pets his face. Their next kiss is slower, sweeter, more of a promise of later (so many laters) than an urgency of now. "I love you so much, father of my children." 

Noah's face splits with a grin. "Same here, father of _my_ children." 

"Our children." 

"Our children," Noah agrees. 

Right on cue, Riley barks, three short yips of joy that carries right up the stairs. 

“Daddy! Pop-pop!” Sammy shouts. “Great-grandmas are here! And grandma! And grandpa!” 

“Cookies!” Lucy Em puts in, because she’s at the cookies-appreciation age, and because honestly, Grandma Emma’s cookies are still the best things in the world. 

Well, _one_ of the best things in the world. Noah smiles into Luke's hair. He's kind of surrounded with those this Christmas. 


End file.
